Clothes-line fastener.



J; R. & P. K001. CLOTHES LINE FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED 0018, 1906.

' Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

U rdiwaw Wifizep'pep.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH Cm, WASHINGTON D c JOHN B. KOOI AND PETER KOOL. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-LINE FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

Application filed October 8, 1906. Serial No. 337,912.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN R. K001 and PETER K001, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented'a certain new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Line Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a device for fastening ropes, andis particularly adaptedfor a clothes-line fastener.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of de vice embodying the invent-ion; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1' showing the parts in the clamping position; Fig. 1 is. a detail view showing the grooves in the engaging piece.

Like letters refer to likeparts throughout the several figures.

The supporting piece A provided with a projecting arm B is adapted to be fastened to any desired support in any convenient manner, as by means of the bolts or screws 0. The arm B is preferably provided with a reinforcing part/B Pivotally connected to the arm B by means of the pivot D is a plate or part Ef Projecting from the part E is an engaging piece F provided with one or more overhanging or projecting parts H which form hooks G. The plate E is also preferably provided with a handle I.

The hooks G and H areprovided with the receiving spaces J. As herein shown these hooks are formed by undercutting the engaging piece F. The engaging piece F is preferably provided at the back with the grooves J (see Fig. 4). These grooves may extend part way along the engaging piece or may be arranged so as to meet thereon.

In the use of the device the supporting piece is fastened to any desired supporting part, and the rope or part to be clamped 1s brought into engagement with one of the hooks G by being moved pastthe hook so as to be received in the receiving space J. The parts may be in the position shown in full lines during this process. If, now, it is desired to clamp the rope, the handle I is grasped and the disk E moved as shown, for example, in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thls causes it to be clamped between the supporting piece A and the engaging pieceF, that is, the face of the hook G. The relation of the plate E and the bracket A is such that when the rope is in position, that is, in engagement with the hook G, it will notbe possible to rotate the plate E so that the hook will pass the supporting-piece, that is to say, pass from one side of the pivot around to the other side of the pivot, although the plate is free to be given this movement when disengaged from the rope. It will be seen that when the parts are brought into their clamping position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the pull on the rope, which in this case would be in the direction of the arrow, simply tends to bind the parts tighter. When it is desired to release the device, the rope is pulled in the opposite direction, and this movement of itself tends to move the parts toward the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, whereupon the rope may be slipped out from engagement with the hook. If the pull on the rope is in the direction opposite to that of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, the plate E, prior to placing the rope in engagement with the hook, will be rotated, say substantially 180 from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, so that the engaging part F is on the opposite side of the pivot. The rope may then be brought into engagement with the hook, and the parts moved to their clamping position.

It will be seen that this device permits the clamping of the rope when the pull thereon is in either direction, and that there is no necessity for knots or other obstruct-ions on the rope. When the device, for example, is

used in connection with a clothes-line which winds back and forth between a number of posts, only the two clamping devices at the ends need be brought to their clamping position. The intermediate devices will be held in position simply by the hooks. The plate E is arranged so that it can not be completely rotated. This is necessary when the rope simply engages the hook and is not clamped between the hook and the supporting-piece. In such event some part of the plate as, for example, the part E engages the bracket and limits the rotation. Each side is provided with a limiting part E The device may be made out of metal, wood or any other desired material. The engaging piece F is preferably integral with the plate E and the arm B with the supportingpiece A, although of course this construction may be varied. It is evident that the device may be used in any place where an efficient clamping device for ropes is desired. It will further be seen that we have here a simple and eflicient clamping device adapted to adjust itself to clamp the rope when running in either direction from the clamp. The part or plate E is of such width as to prevent the rope from passing down between it and the supporting-piece, said rope ordinarily resting upon the top thereof, and being clamped between the bracket and the hook. When the rope is in position the clamping effect is produced before the hook passes between the pivot D and the supporting-piece, and then the pull on the rope simply increases the clamping effect, as hereinbefore stated.

WVe claim:

1. In a clamping device, the combination with a supporting piece having a flat face thereon of a projecting arm substantially at right angles thereto, a plate pivotally connected to said arm and substantially parallel thereto and a hook fixed to said plate in a different plane from the plane of the plate so as to move therewith and adapt ed to engage the device to be clamped, said hook opposite said flat face so as to force the device to be clamped against said flat face, said hook providing a single connecting point between the device to be clamped and said plate.

2. In a clamping device, the combination with a vertical supporting piece of a projecting arm substantially at right angles thereto, a plate pivotally connected to said arm and substantially parallel thereto, a hook fixed to one end of said plate so as to move therewith and adapted to be brought into engagement with the device to be clamped and force said device against the face of said support, the relation between the bracket and the pivotal point of said plate being such that the hook may be rotated back and forth past the bracket so as to move from one side of the pivotal point of' the plate to the other and a limiting, piece associated with said plate so as to limit this movement.

3. A clamping device comprising a vertical supporting piece, a fiat face thereon, an arm projecting therefrom and rigidly connected therewith, a movable part pivotally connected with said arm, an engaging piece opposite said flat face and integral with said movable part and projecting at right angles therefrom, said engaging piece under-cut so as to form two hooks. V

4;. A l1ne clamp comprising a supporting device havlng two parts at rlght angles to each other, one adapted to be fastened to a fixed device, a pivot connected with the other part, a plate connected with said pivot and having a part concentric therewith and adapted to be moved with relation to said supporting device, said plate striking the part fastened to a fixed device when moved a predetermined amount so as to limit the movement, and a hook connected with the concentric portion ofsaid plate for receiving the line, thepoint of the plate which strikes said part fastened to the fixed device being at a distance from the point where the line is connected with. said plate and in a different horizontal plane. 7

' 5. A line clamp comprising a support hav ing a vertical face and adapted to be fasplate pivoted to said arm having a curved face on one side of its pivotal point and" a handle projecting from the other side-thereof, a hook connected with said plate and in a different horizontal plane therefrom, said. hook adapted to engage the line. and force it against the fiat supportlng piece when the plate is moved to its operative position.-

JOHN R. K001.

PETER'KOOI.

Witnesses: v

PERGIVAL TRUMAN, EDNA K. REYNOLDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

